The Darkest Night
by Window Girl
Summary: Batman confronts a horrifying evil in his city. Catwoman must face her past. And a teenage girl who has lived in darkness for too long must learn to walk towards the light. Rated for implied sexual violence. May be triggering. Slight Bruce\Selina. Please read author's note.
1. Prologue

**A\N:** The wonderful fan novel _Batman: The Ultimate Evil_ by Andrew Vachss has Batman confronting the evil of children being sold for sex in Asia. I've decided to write this story to showcase the evil of children being sold for sex right here in the U.S. I don't really have that many qualifications to write about this topic except that I'm passionate about it. If anyone who has more experience with these matters (sex worker or former sex worker, law enforcement official, activist, ect) wants to offer suggestions or corrections, I would really appreciate it.

Also, my main character is Latina. I'm not. I love the Spanish language and have studied it for many years, but I'm not perfect. There are idioms and such I'm not familiar with. Native Spanish speakers are welcome to offer corrections as well as comments\criticisms about the portrayal of Latino\Latina characters. In the meanwhile, I'll do my best, and the English translations will be in brackets.

I hope we can learn together.

She can smell him on the other side of the room. He reeks of cigarette smoke and body odor. Luci lies perfectly still and tries to breathe only through her mouth, as the john unbuckles his belt. _Relejate,chica _she tells herself. _Relejate._ [Relax girl, relax] She's learned by now that tensing the muscles in her stomach and between her legs only makes it hurt worse.

She closes her eyes as his pants drop to the floor. _Maybe he'll be quick. Maybe there won't be a lot of them tonight._

As her "customer" plugs away in the dark, Luci conjures up visions of her bedroom in foster care. She remembers the blue carpet and the map of the U.S. that hung on the wall. She silently repeats the names of all the cities she used to dream about visiting. _Chicago. Philadelphia. Boston. Hartford. Papi told me I could see the whole country if I went with him. Guess it's true that you gotta be careful what you wish for._

Her bitter chuckle coincides with her client's groan as he comes.

She breathes a sigh of relief when the man leaves. His smell still lingers in the room. On the sheets. On her skin. She opens her eyes. Through the cracked door, she sees Papi counting the money. Two hundred dollars.

A shadow looms in front of the door.

"_Ella es una buena_ [she's a good one]," Papi says with a chuckle.

Luci closes her eyes again. _Time for the next round_.

Customer #1 did it in the dark. Number 2 wants the lights on. So she can see everything: from the eyes that rake over her like she's the main course at an all-you-can-eat buffet to the large bulge in his sweatpants. He licks his lips, and she glimpses scummy, yellow teeth.

"_Chapuda [_blowjob]," he demands, pointing to his erection.

Luci climbs off the bed and gets on her knees. At least this part doesn't hurt. And Papi's right. She has gotten pretty good at this.

_Maybe if I treat him right, he'll leave a little somethin' extra. _

She pictures the map again as she pulls down the john's sweatpants and begins to work. _Providence. Trenton. Gotham._


	2. Chapter 1

**A\N 1: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! This chapter comes with a warning for a semi-graphic description of violence done to a child and might be triggering for survivors of domestic violence and\or the sex trade.**

**A\N 2: The child mentioned in this chapter is not Luci, the girl mentioned in the first chapter. She's okay.**

**A\N 3: Maven is not an original character. You might remember her as Selina's secretary from "The Cat and the Claw" and "Cat Scratch Fever"**

_Two months later_

The face of a hook-nosed man in a suit flashed across the screen.

"Breaking news. Leonard Belcher, CEO of Artemis Electronics was arrested today for allegedly soliciting sex from a teenage girl."

A picture of a female posing in lingerie on a computer screen appeared next. Her face was blacked out. "Belcher allegedly answered an ad from for a date with 'Honeydew.' He is believed to have had sex with her in a hotel in Bludhaven. The ad says that 'Honeydew' is eighteen, but police later discovered she was fifteen. Belcher is charged with statutory rape."

"My word, sir," said Alfred. "That's the third time this type of incident has occurred in the past two months. Don't you know that man?"

"Lenny Belcher. I went to Oxford with him. Always a lady's man, though I never imagined he'd be capable of purchasing sex from a minor."

Alfred tutted and shook his head. "I've set out your new suit for your date with Miss Selina tonight, Master Bruce."

"Thanks, Alfred."

Thirty minutes later, Bruce met Selina's car as it pulled into the driveway. Selina stepped out, wearing a light pink evening gown with silver sequins and a pearl necklace with matching earrings.

Bruce let out his breath in a long whistle. "You look stunning."

"Thanks. You don't look so bad yourself. "

He rolled his eyes.

"So, any chance we'll be interrupted tonight?" Selina whispered as they climbed into the car.

"I don't think so. The whole Arkham crew is locked up tight for now. Things seem pretty calm. My routine patrol isn't for another five hours."

"Good." Selina snuggled against his arm. "Then hopefully I'll have you all to myself tonight."

The car pulled into Fletcher's, Selina's favorite. Bruce got out of the car, opened the door, and offered his arm to Selina.

"Thanks, Maven," Selina said to her secretary who was also acting as chauffer. "I'll call you when we're ready."

"Okay, Selina."

Maven drove away, and Bruce and Selina headed towards the opulent restaurant.

"Fletcher's. Awfully fancy tonight, aren't we, Bruce."

"Well, I thought I'd take you to someplace you really liked to make up for our last outing."

"You mean the police ball where the Joker dropped that giant stink bomb?" she wrinkled her nose. "Maven had to burn that dress, and it was one of my favorites. Not to mention I had to take about five showers. Guess that's what I get for spending an evening with law enforcement, huh?"

"Selina. . ."

"Although, I have to say that was an improvement over the time you took me to the Gotham Botanical Gardens and I almost got eaten alive by one of Ivy's plant monsters."

"Selina, I'm sorry."

She stopped walking and looked at him in surprise. Then she smiled.

"I was just kidding, Bruce. I knew from the start that this wasn't going to be a conventional, candle-light-and-roses relationship. And I wouldn't have it any other way."

He smiled back at her.

"Now, let's go. There's a salmon filet calling my name."

_This might be an enjoyable evening after all_ Bruce thought, as they walked through the front doors. Then he heard a high-pitched voice call his and Selina's names.

"Bruce Wayne! Selina Kyle!"

They turned and saw Teresa Mack and her husband Cletus. Bruce groaned mentally, and he saw Selina slump. Teresa Mack had to be the most obnoxious woman in the world. Unfortunately, the Macks were also huge donors to both the Wayne foundation and Selina's Wildlife Foundation. So it was necessary to be polite. Selina was already straightening up and putting on her best socialite smile.

"Teresa, Cletus. How lovely to see you."

"Fancy meeting the two of you here. What a pleasant surprise," Bruce said, following Selina's lead and turning on the charm.

"Isn't it though!" exclaimed Teresa. She turned to her husband. "We should ask them to join us for dinner."

"No thank-" Selina began.

"Oh, I insist. There's so much I want to catch up with the two of you on. And I'm sure Cletus wouldn't mind. Would you, dear?"

"No of course not."

"Splendid!"

Cletus gave Bruce and Selina an apologetic shrug when Teresa's back was turned.

"Did you hear about Lenny Belcher?"

"Huh?" Bruce jerked out of his stupor. His mind had long since wandered away from Teresa's inane chatter to the subject of where he should start his patrol.

"Did you hear about Lenny Belcher?" Teresa repeated.

Selina had been aimlessly pushing food around her plate, but now she'd snapped to attention as well.

"Yes," said Bruce. "In fact I saw it on the news just before I met up with Selina."

"Isn't that dreadful?"

Selina put her fork down and stared at her plate.

"Of course, it's hardly surprising," continued Teresa. "The way these young girls dress these days, trying to look so much older. And of course they open their legs at the drop of a hat. . ."

"Shut up!" yelled Selina, banging her fist on the table.

Silence.

Teresa and Cletus gaped at Selina.

Selina turned the same delicate shade of pink as her dress. "I'm sorry. I'm not feeling very well. I think I'll have Maven pick me up early."

"I'll come with you," said Bruce. He waved his hand. "Check, please," he called to a waiter. "Cletus, Teresa, it was nice to see you again."

Cletus was still staring at Selina, but Teresa recovered nicely. "Yes, good to see you too, Bruce. I hope you feel better, Selina."

"Thank you, Teresa."

Selina began to shake when they got outside the restaurant. She buried her face in her hands.

"Selina, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It's just. . . _How_ can they hold that girl responsible? She's only fifteen."

The Bat Signal flashed across the sky before Bruce could answer. Selina saw it too.

"I'm fine," she said in response to Bruce's apologetic look. She put on a smile. "Wouldn't want to keep good old Commissioner G waiting."

Gordon looked grim when Batman appeared in his office. "Did you hear about Leonard Belcher's arrest?"

"Yes."

"We suspect that the girl he purchased sex from may have been trafficked. In fact, we suspect that there may be a whole ring of traffickers selling underage girls over the internet."

He pulled a photo out of an envelope. It was a photo of a Checkers ad from the "Adult Services" section. This one featured a lingerie-wearing girl sitting on her knees on a bed and sucking her finger, staring alluringly at the camera.

"Hi, boys. My name is Trixie. I'm a foxy lady who's lookin' for a good time. I'm sweet, sensual, and eager-to-please. Take me out for dinner and drinks or stay in for an evening of romance. $50"

"This ad was put on Checkers two months ago. 'Trixie' here is believed to actually be fourteen-year-old Connie Pasqualino who was reported missing by her foster parents three months ago."

Gordon pulled out another photo. It depicted the corpse of a girl who resembled the one in the ad. Her face was swollen and badly bruised, and her throat had been slit. She was naked, and there were various bruises and burn marks over her body. "We found this girl in the river the day before yesterday. Connie's foster parents have confirmed that it's her."

Batman had seen brutal crimes in his time. But the sight of the young girl's corpse gave him quite a shock.

"We think the ring might be operating here in Gotham. We have to stop these sick bastards before they do this again."


	3. Chapter 2

A\N 1: "Papi" is Puerto Rican Spanish for "Daddy" which is the sex industry term for a pimp. I've decided not to translate it in the brackets. Also, be warned that this chapter is really exploitive and was disturbing to write. The reader might want to use caution.

A\N 2: To clear up some things: Luci and Connie\Trixie (the girl from the previous chapter) were both working for Papi. Papi killed Trixie, but he told Luci that he just sent her back to her foster home. For those wondering why Luci wants to stay with someone who treats her so horribly: trafficked women and girls often form strong emotional bonds with their pimps, seeing them as father-figures and protectors even while they fear them. I hope to get more into why Luci doesn't want to leave Papi later in the story. Meanwhile, the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN)has a good explanation of Stokholm Syndrome, which comes into play here. get-information/effects-of-sexual-assault/Stockhol m-syndrome

" Abierta tus piernas. Clava el culo en aire," Papi barked. [Open your legs. Stick your butt in the air]

Luci shivered in the skimpy lingerie. The sky blue baby doll chemise and 10-inch stiletto heels were her favorite color, but that didn't change the fact that she was super uncomfortable. She was bent over a bed, supporting herself on her hands while standing with her legs spread apart and her bottom sticking up in air. Her back ached from the impossible angle, and her feet ached from the shoes. But she had to look good for Papi's photos.

_I'm Papi's only girl now. Carmelotta and Lolita got put in the slammer. Monica ran away, and who knows what happened to her? He dropped Tatiana 'cause she was too old. And he sent Trixie back to her foster parents 'cause she was disrespectin' him. I'm the only way he can make money now. He needs me. _

Her knees buckled.

_He needs me, but I can't stay like this for much longer._

She collapsed, banging her head on the footboard. Groaning in pain, she put her hand up to her forehead and felt something warm and wet.

_Whack!_ Papi's hand was like a bee sting against the side of her head.

"¡Qué anormal!"[You idiot!]

"Lo siento, Papi." [I'm sorry, Papi.] She began to cry.

The same hand that had smacked her began rubbing her back. "Está bien, muñequita. Siento que me enojé. Muéstrame tu cara." [It's all right, baby doll. I'm sorry I got mad. Let me see your face.]

She removed her hand and looked up at him. Blood was beginning to flow into her eye. The side of her head still stung from the smack.

" Un poquito corte. Es nada para Papi. Siéntate." [Just a little cut. Nothing Papi can't fix. Sit down.]

She sat in the chair that Papi had occupied, holding her hand over her cut. Papi went into the kitchen of the apartment and came back with a cloth and some hydrogen peroxide.

Strong arms lifted her up into a comforting lap. One gentle hand began to doctor her head while the other stroked her hair.

"Lo siento, Papi," she sobbed [I'm sorry, Papi.] She buried her face burying her face in his huge neck. "Dime una oportunidad. No me manda, por favor" [Give me another chance. Don't send me away, please.]

[If you obey Papi, he'll let you stay.]

" Te quiero, Papi. No quiero salirte. Nunca." [Thank you, Papi. I don't want to leave you. Never.]

"Tengo un regalo para ti" [I have a present for you].

He reached into a bag behind the chair and pulled out a newsboy cap which was the same color as the lingerie and shoes.

Luci sniffed and dried her tears. Her face instantly transformed from that of a forlorn child to that of a child on Christmas morning. "¿Es el sombrero que yo vi en la ventana de Saks? ¿El quería tanto? " [Is that the hat I saw in the window at Saks? The one I wanted so much?]

"Sí. Es la recompensa para tu trabajo. Lo puedes usar en las fotos." [Yes. It's a reward for all your hard work. You can wear it in the photos.]

"¡Muchas gracias, Papi!" Luci exclaimed. [Thank you, Papi!]

_He really does care_ she thought as she put the hat on her head and tucked her thick, dark curls into it. "Un momentito, Papi." [Just a minute, Papi.]

She hobbled (the shoes were hard to walk in) over to the bathroom and washed the tear stains off her face. _I'm not going to cry anymore_ she thought as she looked at herself in the mirror. _I'm going to make Papi happy._

She hobbled out of the bathroom and over to the bed. She jumped on it and lounged seductively, flashing the camera her sexiest red-hot-Latina smile.

"Buena niña." [Good little girl.] Papi said as he clicked the camera.


End file.
